56 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 



of the showy annuals and biennials of our gardens of to-day. 

 But many indigenous plants would make no mean show, such as 

 cowslips, daffodils, primroses, foxglove, mullein, St. John's worts, 

 gentian, oxalis, mallow, corncockle, yarrow, campion, knap- 

 weed, or honeysuckle, allot which areknown to have been grown. 

 There were corners, too, where a peony or tall hollyhock or 

 monkshood flowered, or shaded nook filled with the glossy 

 leaves of the hartstongue, or a portion of the long bed was 

 made bright with pinks and columbines, or sweetly scented 

 with lavender, rosemary, or thyme. In describing the flowers 

 of a garden in Chaucer's time, the one which he called 



" The daysie or elles the eye of day 

 The emperise and flour of floures alio " 



must not be overlooked. It found its way into the trimmest 

 gardens ; the greenswards and arbours were " powdered " with 

 daisies. To quote Chaucer again : 



" Home to my house full swiftly I me sped 

 To gone to rest, and early for to rise 

 To scene this fioure to sprede, as I devise 

 And in a little herber that I have 

 That benched was on turves fresh y grave 

 I bad me shoulde me my couche make." 



Though a daisy plant is supposed to spoil the most velvety turf, 

 yet none would see it banished from our gardens, and all agree 

 in loving the little flower with the poet who said, 



" Si douce est la Marguerite." 



The gardens that were described by Chaucer, although in- 

 tended for ideal ones, were no doubt but faithful pictures of 

 the gardens of his day, seen through his poet's eye. The 

 garden, " ful of braunches grene," in which Emely was walking 

 when she was watched by the imprisoned knights, was such 

 as might be seen beneath many a feudal castle wall. 



" The grete tour, that was so thikke and strong, 

 Which of the castel was the cheef dongeoun 



* * * * * 



Was evene joynant to the gardyn wal." 



There is in history a counterpart of this garden of romance, 

 that of Windsor Castle. When James I. of Scotland was there. 



